T O P I C R E V I E W |
413 is in | Any ideas on the story behind this photo? I purchased this some time ago on eBay from a guy who sells original news photographs out of Berlin, Germany. ------------------ b i l l |
4allmankind | Great photo Bill. I took some time to look at photos of the capsules pre-69 on the field guide to American Spacecraft website, but just cant seem to find a "match" on the outside markings. I will look for some more photos but hopefully in the meantime someone else more experienced can help you. Jay |
mikej | Based on the earth landing system, it definitely looks like a Block II CM. Based primarily on the burn pattern by the roll thrusters, as well as the coloration on the yaw thrusters, the scuffing on the hatch, and the darker panel under the rendezvous window, I would guess that it's Apollo 8. The burn patterns definitely don't match Apollo 9 (the only other pre-mid-1969 Block II CM of which I've taken pictures). |
mikej | And a bit of Googling yielded the following from Stars and Stripes: http://www.stripes.com/photoday/100706photoday.html: quote: Kassel, Germany, August 12, 1969: A truck carrying the Apollo 8 command module is parked at a U.S. military service station during a tour of base exchanges in Europe. The capsule was flown by astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders on the first manned trip around the moon eight months earlier.
The CM in this picture has similar scuffing on the hatch, as well as the darker panel under the rendezvous window. |
heng44 | This makes sense: the Apollo-8 CM was displayed in The Netherlands when the Apollo-11 astronauts visited Amsterdam in October 1969. So it apparently was nextdoor in Germany just before that. Ed |
mark plas | Thats what i was thinking too Ed do you have a picture of that?? Mark
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heng44 | Maybe a newspaper picture. I didn't see the exhibition personally. But I have a friend who was there in the RAI in Amsterdam and even was able to sit in the Apollo-8 CM for a short period... Ed |
mark plas | In my book De mens in de ruimte is a picture of the Apollo 11 astronauts in front of the Apollo 8 capsule in Amsterdam |
tegwilym | Reminds me of a story my mom told me. She had seen the Apollo 8(?) capsule displayed probably like this was. She said my grandmother touched it and said "it's still hot!". Of course it was in the sun, but it makes for a good story. Tom
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FFrench | Good grief... the days that spacecraft were displayed outside. What would happen if it unexpectedly rained? Doesn't bear thinking about... Curators everywhere will grit their teeth looking at photos like this! |
mark plas | Just found this piece of film about the apollo 11 crew in Amsterdam http://cgi.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams?/ibg/ruimtevaart03-bb.wmv |
FFrench | Interesting - thanks! So on that occasion, Apollo 8 was at least indoors - but suspended over a pool of water... yikes! Again, my teeth are on edge... |
Dwight | Just FYI the inscription reads "German-American People's Festival 8.8.69, Original flown Apollo Capsule" Dwight |
413 is in | Thanks to ALL for helping to solve this mystery! ------------------ b i l l |
mzieg | It's definitely the Apollo 8 CM - I saw it with my own eyes when I was living in Berlin in 1969. It was quite a crowd pleaser, especially being the same summer as the Apollo 11 moon landing. |